Thursday, July 25, 2013

Workers warn of “Brazil-type protest” over MRT/LRT fare hike

Press Release

July 25, 2013

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) expressed its
opposition to fare hikes for the MRT and LRT as the Department of
Transportation and Communications announced public hearings over the proposal. “The
fare increases will be a burden on workers, employees, students and the poor who
use the MRT and LRT daily. The government must take heed from Brazil where mass
protests exploded last month over a similar hike in public transport fares,” averred
Renato Magtubo, national chair of PM.

PM declared that it will be organizing protests against the
proposed hike. The group also called on the DOTC to open the books of the corporations
running the MRT and LRT, and make transparent the computation of the cost of
ferrying passengers. The DOTC had said that it spends P40 and P60 for carrying
one commuter from end to end at the MRT and LRT respectively.

“The low MRT and LRT fare is a small consolation for the
hundreds of thousands who endure riding the biggest can of sardines in Metro
Manila. The fare subsidy is a public service that the state must maintain. Environmentally-friendly
public means of transport like the MRT and LRT are important common goods no
different from government hospitals and public schools,” Magtubo added.

“Before passing the burden to working class and urban poor commuters,
the MRT and LRT must first do housekeeping since the suspicion that these
corporations are milking cows for favored political appointees is not unfounded.
The complaint by the Czechs that there were asked for grease money for the
contract to supply new trains remains pending. The alleged US$30 million bribe is
enough to cover the cost of the P5 fare hike for 600,000 daily MRT users for
400 days or more than one year (at a P40 to 1 US$ rate),” Magtubo explained.

He also called the argument that people from the Visayas and
Mindanao are subsidizing the fare of people
from Metro Manila as “divide and rule.” “If that is a correct argument then how
come nobody is calling for the abolition of the Philippine General Hospital even
though it predominantly caters to the sick in Metro Manila and nearby areas? Instead
of cutting back on subsidies on the MRT and LRT, the government must provide
for public means of transport such as light rails in the key cities of Visayas
and Mindanao.”

PM is demanding that government expand rather than cut back
on provision for “common goods.” “Funds must be allocated to make Philhealth
universal. The conditional cash transfer program must be reformed so that it is
universal rather than targeted and be in the form of cash for work. Such a
program is effectively a public employment scheme that puts the millions of
unemployed to gainful and dignified work,” Magtubo ended.

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The time has come to rally every underprivileged sector of the society, to take the bull by the head and confront the issues of today. The working class must take an active role in every political exercise presented. The backbone of the independent party must be comprised of the working class with the other marginalized sectors in solidarity.

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